Hull KR-Sewell Group extend kindred ties

Article posted by Coliseum, February 7^th, 2024

Image: Hull KR

The professional rugby league team Hull KR (UK) and the Sewell Group have announced a multiyear extension to the club’s prestigious stadium (Craven Park) naming rights partnership until the end of the 2025 season.

‘HULL KR’ stated that the two-year deal sees the stadium referred to as the Sewell Group Craven Park and continues the partnership cementing the Sewell Group and Hull KR at the heart of the East Hull Community.

The Hull Kingston Rovers are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England (UK). The club play home games at the Craven Park and compete in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby league. The Hull KR has won the League Championship and the Challenge Cup once.

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The 12,225-capacity Craven Park (currently known as the Sewell Group Craven Park Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby league stadium located in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England (UK). It is the home of Hull Kingston Rovers, one of two professional rugby league teams based in the City.

The Super League is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present, the league consists of 12 teams, of which 10 are from Northern England, reflecting the sport’s geographic heartland within the United Kingdom, one from London and one from Southern France.

The Rugby Football League Championship is the second highest division of rugby league in Britain after the Super League. Introduced in 2003 as the National League One, it replaced the existing Second Division. It was rebranded as the Championship in 2009.

The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organized by the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup.

The European Rugby Champions Cup is an annual rugby union tournament organized by the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a predominantly European league.

Lausanne (Switzerland)-based the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) is the governing body and organizer of the two major club rugby union tournaments: The European Rugby Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Hull (UK)-based the Sewell Group is a multidiscipline group of companies operating across the Yorkshire region in the United Kingdom. In whatever it does, the Sewell Group aim to create value for its communities and prove that a local family business can deliver world-class services.

Hull KR Chief Executive Paul Lakin said that he was delighted to extend the partnership with one of the club’s principal partners and is proud of what has been achieved so far – “Naturally, we are delighted to extend the partnership for our prestigious stadium naming rights with the Sewell Group. Throughout the partnership so far, we have delivered so much wonderful activity for our community. From distributing free Rugby League balls to 700 youngsters in the City, supporting our Community Christmas Dinners to the free sticker collection towards the end of the last season, plus lots more. What started as a commercial partnership, has of course progressed over time, working closer and closer with the Group. In same way that we were both formed over 140 years ago with strong East Hull roots, our kindred spirit continues, with both organizations growing rapidly over the last two years and become recognised regionally as leaders in our respective fields.”

Added Lakin, “For us of course, we have seen strong growth off the field, alongside a growing talent pool of over 365 players across 14 teams, making us the most inclusive club in the City. Over the partnership, we have learned a lot from the Sewell Group about their culture, and how they became a Times Top 100 place to work. We look forward to building on that, alongside all the community activity and engagement rollout.”

‘HULL KR’ further stated that the Group Finance Director of Sewell Group, Simon Davison, is looking forward to growing the partnership further and commented, “We know the fantastic work Hull KR do in the local area to support the health and wellbeing of the community, so we are delighted to be able to support this relationship. Extending our partnership is testament to what we’ve developed over the last two years, and our collective commitment to support people and communities across the City. For us, this is about much more than putting our logo on a stadium – we’re proud to have been based in East Hull since we were established and continue to be part of the local life, enabling people to get involved in sport and supporting wider initiatives with various community partners linked to the club. This began several years ago with us sponsoring the community sections in the ground, then the North Stand and now the entire stadium.”

Added Davison, “Our Group is growing, very much like the club and we’re creating more opportunities for the local people to find skilled roles across a whole range of different sectors.”

Put in Patrick Sewell, Managing Director of Sewell on the go, “We also look forward to supporting and enhancing the work the Sewell Group do in the local community, whilst providing a platform for their Sewell on the Go brand within the stadium bowl and across social media to promote our 13 convenience stores across the region. Our stores and petrol forecourts are conveniently located to the stadium with five across East Hull. Additionally, the away supporters can pop in to our A63 sites to pick up anything they need ahead of the drive home.”

Sewell on the go is part of the Sewell Group: A multidiscipline group of companies operating across the North of England (UK). The local convenience stores are just one part of what they offer as a Group. The estates side of their business offer data mapping, consultation services, building contractors, and facilities management.

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